Ems Cycle Route - Along the Ems to the North Sea coast

Both the river and the cycle route meander through the Paderborner Land and Gütersloher Land, the first of five holiday regions covered by this route. The scenery is dominated by sandy dunes, pine forests and wetlands, as well as small medieval towns. Next, the route continues through the Ems riverbank meadows and the Münsterland region with its fairytale moated castles. After the moors and heathland in the southern Emsland, things get decidedly maritime with harbours, locks and weirs. Your journey ends near Emden, where the river flows into the North Sea.

Terrain: essentially level countryside. The paths are on asphalt most of the way and traverse two federal states, largely away from busy roads, but not always free of traffic.

Scenery: the route hugs the banks of the Ems river all the way from the headwaters on the edge of the Teutoburg Forest to its North Sea estuary near Emden. Along the way it crosses five holiday regions with their heaths, moors, riverside meadows, fenland and areas of reclaimed land.